Bald Eagles Waiting for Spring

It's our national bird, and we have a lot of them in Minnesota.

"Minnesota is one of the top states for bald eagles," says Ron Windingstad with Audubon Minnesota.

Eagles were in a lot of trouble just a few decades ago.

"You would have been lucky to see one, maybe two. The stretch of river just south of Red Wing, a two hundred mile stretch in 1972, had one bald eagle nest," says Windingstad.

Through the banning of certain pesticides and conservation initiatives, the bald eagles have rebounded dramatically.

"The eagles population has really come back. It just got taken off the endangered species list a year ago," says Windingstad.

Sven joined Windingstad at Colvill Park near Red Wing recently and saw that the bald eagles are abundant. The park attracts many eagles this time of year.

"It's below a power plant where the energy and everything keeps the water warmer and keeps the water open," explains Windingstad. "Anytime you have open water in the winter like this you have bald eagles concentrating."

Eagles need that open water because fish are a primary component of their diet.

Areas of open water are a rare commodity in winter months, and so are the fish they catch.

"When the weather warms the waters and the waters start opening up to the north the eagles will start to make a b-line to the nesting areas," says Windingstad.

And that's a sign when spring has truly sprung.

By Sven Sundgaard, KARE 11 Weather Read Sven's Blog

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